SM Supermalls celebrates Nutrition Month with focus on plant-based diets

The culmination of SM Supermalls' activities for this year's Nutrition Month, organized by the SuperMoms Club, included the launch of food security and nutrition expert Juana Manahan-Yupangco's latest book, “Juana's Table.”

The book features recipes using native Filipino vegetables.

Food security and nutrition expert Juana Manahan-Yupangco (center) with celebrity moms Patti Grandidge-Herrera and Dimples Romana.

Yupangco, who recently earned her master's degree in Food Security and Nutrition from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, delivered an enlightening talk to SuperMoms at SM Megamall's Atrium during the event.

Grace Magno, SM Supermalls Vice President for Marketing, emphasized SM's commitment to promoting better nutrition for Filipino families. She highlighted initiatives like the SM Sunday Market, which offers fresh local produce and vegetables at affordable prices.

These efforts support the farming community's recovery from the health crisis and align with SM Foundation's urban farming programs aimed at enhancing education and capabilities in farming and food production.

During her presentation, Yupangco addressed concerning trends, such as Filipino women surpassing men in obesity rates and the link between poor nutrition and children's educational attainment. These are two statistics that bear weighty consideration given that the opportunities to reverse these trends are easily within reach, and would actually help the plight of local farmers.

As such, Yupangco advocates a shift to a more plant-based diet, emphasizing locally grown vegetables for their freshness, nutritional value, accessibility, and affordability. Her cookbooks, “Mesa ni Misis” and “Juana's Table,” offer recipes that celebrate these local ingredients without compromising flavor and variety.

The afternoon also saw the participation of celebrity SuperMom Dimples Romana and SuperMOMpreneur Patti Grandidge-Herrera.

Teaming up with Romana and Grandidge-Herrera, Yupangco led a food preparation demo, showcasing 'green' versions of popular dishes like Korean seaweed rice rolls, Gimbap (Kimbap), and even a plant-based Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce with Monggo Beans.

This creative approach illustrates how Yupangco seamlessly integrates vegetables into beloved comfort food recipes, transforming them into plant-based delights.